Talleyrand
The Life and Legacy of France’s Most Influential Diplomat
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Narrated by:
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Steve Knupp
About this listen
“Politics is the systematic cultivation of hatred.” (Talleyrand)
The Congress of Vienna, which took place over several months during 1814 and 1815, was an attempt to resolve the numerous challenges presented by Napoleon’s expansion and his subsequent defeat. The talks have been seen as a critical moment in European history, and depending on the point-of-view, the results were either a diplomatic breakthrough or the last gasps of the continent’s conservative elites. It was also a crucial step toward German unification, although this was not clear at the time.
Leaders in 1814-1815 were broadly opposed to both republicanism and revolution, and the outcome of the Congress reflected these principles. One of the key features of Vienna was, therefore, the re-ordering of German states into a German Confederation, or Deutscher Bund. The Confederation was, in essence, a re-imagining of the Holy Roman Empire, but with 39 states. Prussia's role was recognized, and it was granted new territory in the Rhineland, including the large city of Cologne. Crucially, the Austrians were to head the new, albeit loose Confederation.
France, despite its turbulence, had its own influential representative at the Congress of Vienna: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord. Known simply as Talleyrand, his name ultimately became associated with crafty, manipulative personal and political maneuvering, even in a country that suffered no shortage of such diplomats and ministers in its history.
As an adult, Talleyrand lived through the most tumultuous years of French history. In a period of little more than 40 years, France passed through five very different periods of rule, but despite the chaos these rapid changes brought, Talleyrand served in important roles in each successive new regime and, through a combination of charm, guile, intelligence, ability, and duplicity, played a leading role in undermining and destroying each.
Under the Ancien Régime, the social and political system by which France had been ruled since the Middle Ages, Talleyrand became a bishop. When the French Revolution tore the nation apart, Talleyrand betrayed both the church and the French Monarchy and became Foreign Minister for the Directory, the governing committee of the French First Republic. In 1799, he betrayed the Republic by helping to organize the coup d'état that would see Napoleon Bonaparte become the absolute dictator of France.
Talleyrand became extremely rich and very powerful under Napoleon, until he wearied of his new leader and betrayed him by selling secrets to his enemies. Talleyrand was one of the key people involved in the plot to remove Napoleon from power and pave the way for the Bourbon Restoration that brought Louis XVIII to the French throne in 1814. He was also a significant factor in the undermining of that regime and its replacement in 1830 during another revolution by a new constitutional monarchy.
Given that background, many in France considered him a vile traitor, and while there is no question he betrayed the pledge of loyalty he had taken to four of those new regimes, he not only survived but somehow retained a measure of respect and admiration. His very name became a byword for duplicity, but also pragmatic and successful diplomacy. If one wanted something done in France in the early 19th century, Talleyrand was the man to approach, though that would likely cost a person a great deal of money.
To this day, many wonder how Talleyrand thrived in an environment that saw so many powerful people ignored, ruined, exiled, or even killed. Naturally, the answer to that is similar to an apt description of his life and reputation–it is a complex, intriguing, and controversial one.
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Story
Since William the Conqueror, duke of Normandy, crossed the English Channel in 1066 to defeat King Harold II and unite England’s various kingdoms, 41 kings and queens have sat on Britain’s throne. “Shining examples of royal power and majesty alongside a rogue’s gallery of weak, lazy, or evil monarchs,” as Tracy Borman describes them in her sparkling chronicle, Crown & Sceptre.
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Great book for those new to the monarchy
- By Chris Corsini on 04-05-22
By: Tracy Borman
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Napoleon
- Soldier of Destiny
- By: Michael Broers
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 20 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Written with great energy and authority - and using the newly available personal archives of Napoleon himself - the first volume of a majestic two-part biography of the great French emperor and conqueror.
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Clarity
- By Tad Davis on 03-25-19
By: Michael Broers
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The March of Folly
- From Troy to Vietnam
- By: Barbara W. Tuchman
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 17 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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In The March of Folly, two-time Pulitzer Prize winning historian Barbara Tuchman tackles the pervasive presence of folly in governments through the ages. Defining folly as the pursuit by governments of policies contrary to their own interests, despite the availability of feasible alternatives, Tuchman details four decisive turning points in history that illustrate the very heights of folly in government.
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Tuchman surprises me...
- By Plimtuna on 09-24-09
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The Pursuit of Italy
- A History of a Land, Its Regions, and Their Peoples
- By: David Gilmour
- Narrated by: Napoleon Ryan
- Length: 19 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Did Garibaldi do Italy a disservice when he helped its disparate parts achieve unity? Was the goal of political unification a mistake? These questions are asked and answered in a number of ways in this engaging, original consideration of the many histories that contribute to the brilliance - and weakness - of Italy today. David Gilmour's exploration of Italian life over the centuries is filled with provocative anecdotes as well as personal observations.
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Good history: Tough Narration
- By C.S. on 11-12-18
By: David Gilmour
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A Concise History of Spain
- By: William Phillips Jr., Carla Rahn Phillips
- Narrated by: Luis Soto
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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This audiobook traces Spain's development from prehistoric times to the present, focusing particularly on culture, society, politics, and personalities. It introduces listeners to key themes that have shaped Spain's history and culture, including its varied landscapes and climates; the impact of waves of diverse human migrations; the importance of its location as a bridge between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean and Europe and Africa; and religion, particularly militant Catholic Christianity and its centuries of conflict with Islam and Protestantism.
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Underwhelmed
- By Anonymous User on 02-20-20
By: William Phillips Jr., and others
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The Tudors
- The Complete Story of England's Most Notorious Dynasty
- By: G. J. Meyer
- Narrated by: Robin Sachs
- Length: 24 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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For the first time in decades, here, in a single volume, is a fresh look at the fabled Tudor dynasty, comprising some of the most enigmatic figures ever to rule a country. Acclaimed historian G. J. Meyer reveals the flesh-and-bone reality in all its wild excess.
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OUTSTANDING!
- By The Louligan on 03-15-10
By: G. J. Meyer
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Phantom Terror
- Political Paranoia and the Creation of the Modern State, 1789 - 1848
- By: Adam Zamoyski
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 22 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Phantom Terror explores this troubled, fascinating period, when politicians and cultural leaders from Edmund Burke to Mary Shelley were forced to choose sides and either support or resist the counterrevolutionary spirit embodied in the newly omnipotent central states. The turbulent political situation that coalesced during this era would lead directly to the revolutions of 1848 and to the collapse of order in World War I.
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Amazing
- By Mike Johnson on 07-14-15
By: Adam Zamoyski
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The French Revolution
- From Enlightenment to Tyranny
- By: Ian Davidson
- Narrated by: Clive Chafer
- Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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The French Revolution casts a long shadow, one that reaches into our own time and influences our debates on freedom, equality, and authority. Yet it remains an elusive, perplexing historical event. Its significance morphs according to the sympathies of the viewer, who may see it as a series of gory tableaux, a regrettable slide into uncontrolled anarchy - or a radical reshaping of the political landscape. In this riveting new book, Ian Davidson provides a fresh look at this vital moment in European history. He reveals how it was an immensely complicated and multifaceted revolution....
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superficial; trite
- By David Hart on 04-25-19
By: Ian Davidson
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A Short History of Russia
- How the World's Largest Country Invented Itself, from the Pagans to Putin
- By: Mark Galeotti
- Narrated by: Mark Galeotti
- Length: 4 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Russia is a country with no natural borders, no single ethnic group, no true central identity. At the crossroads of Europe and Asia, it has been subject to invasion by outsiders, from Vikings to Mongols, from Napoleon’s French to Hitler’s Germans. In order to forge an identity, it has mythologized its past to unite its people and to signal strength to outsiders. In A Short History of Russia, Mark Galeotti explores the history of this fascinating, glorious, desperate, and exasperating country.
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Wonderful short history
- By Tad Davis on 01-19-21
By: Mark Galeotti
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The Coming of the Terror in the French Revolution
- By: Timothy Tackett
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 15 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Between 1793 and 1794, thousands of French citizens were imprisoned and hundreds sent to the guillotine by a powerful dictatorship that claimed to be acting in the public interest. Only a few years earlier, revolutionaries had proclaimed a new era of tolerance, equal justice, and human rights. How and why did the French Revolution's lofty ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity descend into violence and terror?
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Terrible Accent
- By john on 06-15-21
By: Timothy Tackett
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Scottish History for Dummies
- By: William Knox PhD
- Narrated by: Matthew Waterson
- Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Want to discover how a small country on the edge of Northern Europe packs an almighty historical punch? Scottish History for Dummies is your guide to the story of Scotland and its place within the historical narratives of Britain, Europe, and the rest of the world. You'll find out how Scotland rose from the ashes to forge its own destiny, understand the impact of Scottish historical figures such as William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, and David Hume and be introduced to the wonderful world of Celtic religion, architecture, and monuments.
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Scottish history with no Scottish narrator :(
- By Mary Katherine Van on 10-11-21
By: William Knox PhD
What listeners say about Talleyrand
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Lucas Spencer
- 10-14-23
Doesn’t do justice for such an interesting subject
2 hours isn’t nearly enough to cover such a fascinating and important historical figure. The pronunciations were absurd. The reading was robotic and sounded like one run-on sentence. It’s sad this was the only option for Talleyrand on audible :(
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- Pablo Paez
- 05-17-24
high level history
the book is brief and only high-level history event. Talleyrand is mentioned here and there with no real details of his participation and involvement on the main events
early on the book says Louis the VI rather than Louis the XVI
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1 person found this helpful